LAB 2
1. Which product interests you the most, and why? (200 words)
A product which interests me most from this site is One Laptop Per Child. I have heard of this program before which provides affordable and also very durable laptops to young children in unprivileged countries. The nonprofit organization uses cutting edge technology which makes the total cost only $100 for the laptop. I think this is very important that children become familiar with technology, as it's prominence is only increasing in everyday life and business globally. The digital divide is an issue in many low income parts of the world and this program aims to help this issue. People in more privileged areas are also able to purchase the laptop or $200 (twice the cost), so one can be sent to a child in need.
2. Which category would interest you to research further for your group project, and why? (100 words)
The category which interests me is health. Things that we take for granted like clean water and the availability of medication are not available in some places. Health is most important to a humans life and so we should use all the resources and technology available to us to help others in need around the world not as fortunate. Some things they are already doing are training craftspeople to make affordable prostheses out of low-cost and available materials, also doctors from North America are sharing their knowledge to diagnose people in Cambodia via satellite.
LAB 3 1. Describe Jan Chipchase's prior job (he now works at frog design http://www.frogdesign.com/) in relation to his work at Nokia. What are the two names he is given in the article? (3 paragraphs)
In his prior job for Nokia he went around the world looking at the way people behave and what they do and why, for research for new products and opportunities. He found that a cell phone was one of the essential things people took with them, along with their keys and money. People take these things for human survival, and it may be surprising to see a phone included in this list. It is Chipchase's job to look at exactly why people do behave and feel this way about their telecommunication devices in order to take this information back to Nokia, where it can be implemented to produce new and improved products.
Jan Chipchase's work was based more on the user's themselves and less on the cell phones themselves and the technology involved. Two names he is given to describe the kind of work that he does are human-behaviour researcher and user anthropologist. As a human-behaviour researcher he looked at the way people use their cell phones for example how a man in India kept his phone in a plastic bag to protect it from seasonal rains, and when kept in the house the phone was hung on the wall to protect it from monsoon water and raw sewage which sometimes got tracked inside the house. Looking at this kind of behaviour can lead to new product innovations such as a phone which came with a hanging device attached to it, or a water proof case.
As a user anthropologist, Chipchase saw how people around the world didn't necessarily have to be literate or even 'own' a phone to be able to 'use' a cellphone. Through cell phone kiosk's in their neighbourhood, users were able to use a shared phone to make their calls, without having to spend money they may not have on their own personal cell phone. This system is also useful for people who are illiterate and would need assistance.
2. “It’s really quite striking,” Hammond says. “What people are voting for with their pocketbooks, as soon as they have more money and even before their basic needs are met, is telecommunications.” (World Resources Institute)
In the spirit of this quote, describe four instances of how owning a cellphone enables users to better their lives. (4 paragraphs/ one for each instance)1. It can be a fixed identity point, like an address, which can be more valuable in today's world as many people are mobile now. For many, such as Chipchase who is constantly travelling all around the world, a cell phone is the best way to find someone, opposed to the traditional home address or home telephone. Many people do not even have a house line anymore because of how convenient and more reliable calling a cell phone is as many people carry their cell phone with them at all times. 2. Productivity - Being able to connect to the world through a cell phone instantly and without travel can help with productivity in everyday life and business as well. An example of this from the article Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty? is the fishermen who started using cellphones to call prospective buyers before getting back to shore increased their profits by 8%. 3. Organization - as smart phones now have many functions in one product, this allows for an ease of organization all in the same place. A phone holds all your contacts information (which many people don't even bother to remember anymore as the phone does it for them), calendars where you can enter all appointments and important dates, email notifications and so much more. Many people would say that they feel lost without their cell phones and this is why.4. Is an excellent emergency resource - whether lost somewhere or looking for something who may be lost, having a phone that could connect you to almost anywhere in the world is a life source. An example is people who were trapped under fallen buildings from hurricane Katrina were able to call and message for help from their cell phones. Because of this they were able to be found and dug out before it could've been too late. LAB 4Tutorial #4 Wiki Question: Write six paragraphs, one on each stage of the 'materials economy', and define its interactions. (6 paragraphs/one stage each paragraph)EXTRACTIONThe first stage of the materials economy which looks at where we get our resources from and more importantly how we are overusing them at a much too fast pace.The world we live on is the only one we have and if we want to keep using the natural resources we are given we are going to have to be more conservative with them. It is mentioned that when US runs out of resources, instead of learning to conserve they began to use other countries resources which is in no way a solution. People instead need to learn how to make do with less resources, using less water, paper, and recycling more. This must be done before it is too late. PRODUCTIONThis stage looks at how corporations are using dangerous toxics to produce goods without knowing or worrying about the consequences. By being exposed to all kinds of toxins in our regular everyday lives it is becoming more difficult for people to stay healthy. It's being put in our food and water and this is something we cannot afford. The fact that mothers would not be able to even provide safe breast milk to their children is scary, as that is supposed to be the healthiest and safest way of feeding a new born baby. DISTRIBUTIONThis stage involves distribution of the products after they are made. Corporations want to do this at the lowest cost possible and a great way to cut costs is in wages. This can easily be done by outsourcing work to third world countries where they can pay employees pennies per hour legally, and can use their energy resources. This works for them as a company because they can charge less for their productive and be competitive in that wayCONSUMPTIONThis stage shows how much we as users consume the products available for us. Media instills us with messages that allow us to believe that we need certain products to fit in, or to be happy. This is done through semiotic codes and really just leaves us with a feeling of emptiness as no product can bring to you important fulfillment. The result of us consumers falling for these products is eventually everything becomes a fad and we just dispose of it anyway. Causing more pollution for the world.DISPOSALThis stage is the process of what we do with the things we consume. Yes we purchase these products that we believe we truly need, then when we realize or find that they are no longer of use to us we dispose of them and usually most of them aren't recyclable or decomposable so we are just harming the environment further.ANOTHER WAY I think the most important thing to take from this article is that we must change our ways and fast. New steps involve green chemistry, zero waste, closed loop production, renewable, local living economies. Although this may seem like more work and that it will take more time and effort to enforce, these steps must be taken if we are going to preserve the natural resources and earth that we have, so we and our children can continue to do so in the future. There really is no alternative. Lab 5
Reema Sbeit - 996263902, and Elisa Reale - 996093953Bodystorming, like brainstorming ideas, is a way of coming up with design ideas. This is done by physically acting out the use of the product or design as if it really existed and you were the person with the conditions it was designed for. This is also known as interaction design as you must get involved with the design by actually physically brainstorming them when thinking of ideas for the design. This creativity technique allows for better product design as it involves the actual use of the product within the design steps, so that the end design is sure to work. Bodystorming also works best with more people involved. The more people involved in the activity the more roles and conditions can be covered. Someone to be the subject, someone to document the procedure, people to even be the props when necessary. After assigning roles, the group must improvise the situation for which the design will be used. Here is where ideas are brought up, tested and retested. Finally there must be a reflection on what happened during the bodystorming. What went right and what went wrong and essentially what must be done to fix it. This is a more effective ay of design opposed to sitting around a table and contemplating potential ideas because through bodystorming they are actually played out and tested for more complete results.
The proponents of this idea like to point out the fact that you get up and move, trying things out with your own body, rather than just sitting around a meeting table. The most common critique seems to be that it is not really a proper user-centered method, since it is more often carried out by the designers than the users of the final product.
The pill bottle is in the shape of a bag so it is easy for someone with arthritis to grip and for someone who has trouble with vision to differentiate from a regular pill bottle. when the bag is shaken it has a vibrating feature so she knows its the right one. Also, the bag will be a bright bold colour.
Another option would for her doctor to give her a prescription number that she can be done through a one time phone delivery service. This way she wont have trouble remembering to refill her prescription or have to get out of the house to go to the drugstore.
Or there could be a brail magazine order service where she just enters her medication number after she dials the appropriate number to get her refills.
She can take the pill by opening a latch on the bag where one pill is dispensed into everyday. She only opens the latch when she needs to take the pill, this way she wont take double dosages. The bag will automatically have an alarm when its her time to take her medication.
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LAB 7 1. Describe how he defines 'design as a collaborative process', and cite two examples of how creators involve the people they want to create for in their work, according to Bill Moggridge's lecture. (1 paragraph each/3 paragraphs)Design as a collaborative process is a design process unlike any other as it is not only the designers simply designers for themselves, but instead incorporates the input and ideas of the consumer in its production. As design affects personal, societal and environmental well-being, the users of the design should be involved in it production process. Must also think about the human interface and interaction. An example of this in which Bill Moggridge mentions in the video is the design of glasses. When being designed the designer must consider the human face and how the glasses will interact with the human user for example the distance between the eyes from each other, the distance from the ears and all other relevant features of the face.2. Find an online example of a product, which utilizes his principles of collaborative design which it, involves people in it design. Cite its URL, and describe its design process in two paragraphs, and how it involved its user(s) in a paragraph. (3 paragraphs)www.wikipedia.org
The example I chose is Wikipedia as I believe it is one of the most collaborative websites used on the internet. A free online encyclopedia which is comprised of knowledge and information from users around the world who collaborate to provide accurate and easily accessible information to others around the world. Currently there are around 18 million articles on the site and I believe it will only continue to grow as many people use it to research just about any topic you can think of. Run and operated by its users, it would not work without the active participation of people providing all the information they know on the various topics. It takes multiple participants to fill a page with various facts and interesting information. It is people providing other people with information. This free flow of knowledge is exactly what the world wide web was imagined to be, as all you need is Internet connection to access the largest encyclopedia in the world. Although wikipedia can be used to search and learn just about any topic, it is typically not always considered completely viable as it is able to be edited by just about anyone. Overall the information is usually correct, wikipedia is not considered a professional reference in matters of writing professional papers. LAB 81. Describe how Natalie Jeremijenko has based her research on "new technologies are an opportunity for social transformation" to perform "small actions that can amount to a significant effect to improve local environmental health".Natalie Jeremijenko uses a completely different approach to health than the definition we are traditionally used to, where instead of focusing on the internal problems, she analyzes the external/environmental problems which are effecting our health. This is an excellent solution as she pointed out most of the cases that doctors are faced with on a regular basis are health issues caused by pollution, and our food such as asthma and obesity. People who come to her clinic are given things they can do in the external environment to help, which ends up helping the community as a whole, possibly preventing someone else from becoming ill.A very interesting example of this design for social change was the no park zone gardens which she has begun to place in front of fire hydrants throughout New York. Many health concerns are raised from road born pollution and this is an easy and effective way to make up for the damage that cars have on the community. Since the space is not of any valuable use, she turned it into an appealing and effective action to help the environment.
2. Choose two projects on HowStuffisMade at http://howstuffismade.org/ and write about how they are made. (1 paragraph each/2 paragraphs)Jelly BeansA jelly bean surprisingly can take up to 10 days to make with its ingredients consisting of sugar, food and corn starch, and the various flavours for different tastes. This jelly bean mix is then placed in a mogul machine which puts the right amount of cooked mix into a mold. A single tray can hold 1260 jelly bean molds. The trays are filled with corn starch and then with the jelly bean mix, and then brought to the conveyer belt to be coated in more sugar. To add the flavour the jelly beans are placed in stainless steel drums and spun while flavoured corn syrup is poured all over them. This is repeated 4 times. To dye them the different colours they are coated in granulated sugar. Finally they are stamped with their logo or brand, and the jelly beans are ready to be eaten!GelatoGelato begins from dairy mix and is mixed with varying ingredients depending on the desired flavour. These ingredients all have their own preparation process including melting the chocolate or seeding raspberries. Once the desired ingredients are mixed into the dairy mix, it is poured into a batch freezer and is slow-churned until becomes smooth ice cream texture. This usually takes around 15 minutes. After which the gelato flows out of the freezer and into packaging ready for delivery and enjoyment! 3. Why is it important that we understand how stuff is made as part of our systems analysis and design process? (1 paragraph) It is crucial to understand how things are made for systems analysis and design processes, because the components of an item and the steps involved in making it can tell a lot about it's functions and abilities. There is a reason why every step is taken in how things are made and it is difficult to analysis or alter something before knowing what went into making it. Also must understand how something was made in order to potentially fix and error or improve the product so as to not run into any more mistakes. Also easier to go back to the steps to see maybe where the original design went wrong and where could be improved. Lab 9 1. According to the slideshow by Sylvain Cottong, who is an employee at http://www.integratedplace.com, describe the tools and methods of 'service design' (2 paragraphs).
-As services account for 60-70% of GDP in most industrialized countries it is important they are designed to be most efficient, effective and valuable design possible. Service design accomplishes this using a combination of product design and interaction design for designing the experience of the service. This essentially focuses on the customer experience throughout the service and using a human centered design approach
-The tools and methods involved are the journey map which looks at the touch points of the service and exactly what the customers feelings are at all of these points and how they can be improved. Another tool is creating a service blueprint, looking at every step of a service process to find any steps which possibly take to long or that can be eliminated all together. Also service prototyping is a good way to find out customers real wants and expectations of a service. Using these tools to improve a service will ensure maximum customer satisfaction, which is essential for today's businesses as customers' expectations are always rising along with the number of competitors in the market.
2. From your personal experience, what would be a scenario in which these methods would be useful? (2 paragraphs) -A personal experience where these methods of service design would be useful is with moving. From the beginning steps of ordering movers, to them actually coming to your house, taking everything out and packaging it to bringing it to your new home, this whole service should be done in a way that is least stressful for the person moving as they already have enough things to worry about. First booking a mover can sometimes be difficult to get the time and date you want. Also prices and times for how long the service will take during all steps should be clear to the mover as they are probably trying to coordinate many aspects of the move to get everything done as quickly as possible. -When the customer is truly satisfied and feels as though the service made their life a little easier they are willing to pay a little more for the service in order to relieve stress. A service such as moving does not have to be used by movers as they can rent a truck themselves and do the moving with help from friends or family, but if a company would be able to provide hassle free service and convenience during a stressful time such as moving the customer would probably refer them to friends and family as well. Providing the service of movers is not difficult as it does not require many tools or trained professionals, so as long as there is customer communication and understanding of their wants and expectations of the service, service design can be very beneficial for everyone involved.
LAB 10 1.Write three paragraphs to define the term 'ergonomics'. (3 paragraphs) Ergonomics is finding new ways to improve productivity while reducing fatigue and discomfort. The term relates to the productivity with office objects/workplace tools and the human body. The study of ergonomics tries to improve the actions between products and humans to create more comfort, thus releiving stress. This may include the setup of an office space which would include the chair's design, how a keyboard is placed on a table or even how far the person is from the screen.
When a workplace is the most ergonomic, workers can get more done in less time, while putting their bodies under less stress. Ergonomics analyses workplace designs including comfort and simplicity, incorrect height and depth, task lighting, freedom of movement, prolonged laptop use and usable desk space for aspects which could be improved.
Ford saw the need for this in his factory and implemented changes in the way the workplace was set up to make the car making process faster. First the tasks were broken up in multiple steps so that each worker was consistently performing the same minimal task over and over, eventually becoming faster and faster at it. To increase production levels Ford also introduced the revolutionary idea of having the cars move to the men rather then the men always moving to the different parts of the cars. This way more cars were able to be produced in less time, making the company more money, allowing them to pay higher wages.
2. What is the 'Gilbreth system of motion analysis' (1 paragraph)
Gilbreth developed the system of motion analysis while working as a bricklayer. He was initially taught several different ways for laying bricks and wondered why this was necessary when he could find out the one best way to get it done. Much of the actions involved in the bricklaying included excessive stooping which lead to fatigue very easily and was very time consuming. He looked to lessen the amount of actions being done in the process and did so by developing a scaffolding platform which would raise itself with the height of the wall so that the worker would not have to stoop as low or as often. With this new system in place the motions necessary for bricklaying were reduced from 18 to 5 and productivity increased by nearly 200%.
3. How was Henry Ford influenced by the efficiency expert, Frederick Taylor? (2 paragraphs)
Henry Ford was greatly influenced by Taylor's efficiency expertise in the designing of the Ford factories. Early on Taylor was brought to the factories to analyze the work done by the workers. Taylor timed the workers every movement so that it could be reorganized to be completed more efficiently and quickly. It was decided that the tasks of building the car would be divided into 100 simple and repetitive tasks, so that each worker was continually performing the same simple task over and over. This way the workers did not need years of experience or training as the steps were divided for simplicity, and the work was done faster since every worker become very efficient at their assigned task.
Now that the workers were moving as fast as they could, Ford even went to make the process more simple by having the worker not even have to move, as the cars would come to them on an assembly line. This allowed for mass production and the design would continue to be used for years to come.
4. What are the four basic principles of McDonaldization? (List of 4)
a. efficiency: looks at the best way to get something done
b. predictability: looks to keep things consistent across different times or places
c. calculability: emphasizes quantity rather then quality
d. control: emphasizes the use of non human technology
1. Which product interests you the most, and why? (200 words)
A product which interests me most from this site is One Laptop Per Child. I have heard of this program before which provides affordable and also very durable laptops to young children in unprivileged countries. The nonprofit organization uses cutting edge technology which makes the total cost only $100 for the laptop. I think this is very important that children become familiar with technology, as it's prominence is only increasing in everyday life and business globally. The digital divide is an issue in many low income parts of the world and this program aims to help this issue. People in more privileged areas are also able to purchase the laptop or $200 (twice the cost), so one can be sent to a child in need.
2. Which category would interest you to research further for your group project, and why? (100 words)
The category which interests me is health. Things that we take for granted like clean water and the availability of medication are not available in some places. Health is most important to a humans life and so we should use all the resources and technology available to us to help others in need around the world not as fortunate. Some things they are already doing are training craftspeople to make affordable prostheses out of low-cost and available materials, also doctors from North America are sharing their knowledge to diagnose people in Cambodia via satellite.
LAB 3
1. Describe Jan Chipchase's prior job (he now works at frog design http://www.frogdesign.com/) in relation to his work at Nokia. What are the two names he is given in the article? (3 paragraphs)
In his prior job for Nokia he went around the world looking at the way people behave and what they do and why, for research for new products and opportunities. He found that a cell phone was one of the essential things people took with them, along with their keys and money. People take these things for human survival, and it may be surprising to see a phone included in this list. It is Chipchase's job to look at exactly why people do behave and feel this way about their telecommunication devices in order to take this information back to Nokia, where it can be implemented to produce new and improved products.
Jan Chipchase's work was based more on the user's themselves and less on the cell phones themselves and the technology involved. Two names he is given to describe the kind of work that he does are human-behaviour researcher and user anthropologist. As a human-behaviour researcher he looked at the way people use their cell phones for example how a man in India kept his phone in a plastic bag to protect it from seasonal rains, and when kept in the house the phone was hung on the wall to protect it from monsoon water and raw sewage which sometimes got tracked inside the house. Looking at this kind of behaviour can lead to new product innovations such as a phone which came with a hanging device attached to it, or a water proof case.
As a user anthropologist, Chipchase saw how people around the world didn't necessarily have to be literate or even 'own' a phone to be able to 'use' a cellphone. Through cell phone kiosk's in their neighbourhood, users were able to use a shared phone to make their calls, without having to spend money they may not have on their own personal cell phone. This system is also useful for people who are illiterate and would need assistance.
2. “It’s really quite striking,” Hammond says. “What people are voting for with their pocketbooks, as soon as they have more money and even before their basic needs are met, is telecommunications.” (World Resources Institute)
In the spirit of this quote, describe four instances of how owning a cellphone enables users to better their lives. (4 paragraphs/ one for each instance) 1. It can be a fixed identity point, like an address, which can be more valuable in today's world as many people are mobile now. For many, such as Chipchase who is constantly travelling all around the world, a cell phone is the best way to find someone, opposed to the traditional home address or home telephone. Many people do not even have a house line anymore because of how convenient and more reliable calling a cell phone is as many people carry their cell phone with them at all times. 2. Productivity - Being able to connect to the world through a cell phone instantly and without travel can help with productivity in everyday life and business as well. An example of this from the article Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty? is the fishermen who started using cellphones to call prospective buyers before getting back to shore increased their profits by 8%. 3. Organization - as smart phones now have many functions in one product, this allows for an ease of organization all in the same place. A phone holds all your contacts information (which many people don't even bother to remember anymore as the phone does it for them), calendars where you can enter all appointments and important dates, email notifications and so much more. Many people would say that they feel lost without their cell phones and this is why. 4. Is an excellent emergency resource - whether lost somewhere or looking for something who may be lost, having a phone that could connect you to almost anywhere in the world is a life source. An example is people who were trapped under fallen buildings from hurricane Katrina were able to call and message for help from their cell phones. Because of this they were able to be found and dug out before it could've been too late.
LAB 4Tutorial #4 Wiki Question:
Write six paragraphs, one on each stage of the 'materials economy', and define its interactions. (6 paragraphs/one stage each paragraph) EXTRACTIONThe first stage of the materials economy which looks at where we get our resources from and more importantly how we are overusing them at a much too fast pace.The world we live on is the only one we have and if we want to keep using the natural resources we are given we are going to have to be more conservative with them. It is mentioned that when US runs out of resources, instead of learning to conserve they began to use other countries resources which is in no way a solution. People instead need to learn how to make do with less resources, using less water, paper, and recycling more. This must be done before it is too late. PRODUCTIONThis stage looks at how corporations are using dangerous toxics to produce goods without knowing or worrying about the consequences. By being exposed to all kinds of toxins in our regular everyday lives it is becoming more difficult for people to stay healthy. It's being put in our food and water and this is something we cannot afford. The fact that mothers would not be able to even provide safe breast milk to their children is scary, as that is supposed to be the healthiest and safest way of feeding a new born baby. DISTRIBUTIONThis stage involves distribution of the products after they are made. Corporations want to do this at the lowest cost possible and a great way to cut costs is in wages. This can easily be done by outsourcing work to third world countries where they can pay employees pennies per hour legally, and can use their energy resources. This works for them as a company because they can charge less for their productive and be competitive in that way CONSUMPTIONThis stage shows how much we as users consume the products available for us. Media instills us with messages that allow us to believe that we need certain products to fit in, or to be happy. This is done through semiotic codes and really just leaves us with a feeling of emptiness as no product can bring to you important fulfillment. The result of us consumers falling for these products is eventually everything becomes a fad and we just dispose of it anyway. Causing more pollution for the world. DISPOSALThis stage is the process of what we do with the things we consume. Yes we purchase these products that we believe we truly need, then when we realize or find that they are no longer of use to us we dispose of them and usually most of them aren't recyclable or decomposable so we are just harming the environment further. ANOTHER WAY I think the most important thing to take from this article is that we must change our ways and fast. New steps involve green chemistry, zero waste, closed loop production, renewable, local living economies. Although this may seem like more work and that it will take more time and effort to enforce, these steps must be taken if we are going to preserve the natural resources and earth that we have, so we and our children can continue to do so in the future. There really is no alternative.
Lab 5
Reema Sbeit - 996263902, and Elisa Reale - 996093953 Bodystorming, like brainstorming ideas, is a way of coming up with design ideas. This is done by physically acting out the use of the product or design as if it really existed and you were the person with the conditions it was designed for. This is also known as interaction design as you must get involved with the design by actually physically brainstorming them when thinking of ideas for the design. This creativity technique allows for better product design as it involves the actual use of the product within the design steps, so that the end design is sure to work. Bodystorming also works best with more people involved. The more people involved in the activity the more roles and conditions can be covered. Someone to be the subject, someone to document the procedure, people to even be the props when necessary. After assigning roles, the group must improvise the situation for which the design will be used. Here is where ideas are brought up, tested and retested. Finally there must be a reflection on what happened during the bodystorming. What went right and what went wrong and essentially what must be done to fix it. This is a more effective ay of design opposed to sitting around a table and contemplating potential ideas because through bodystorming they are actually played out and tested for more complete results.
[edit]Opinions on this method
The proponents of this idea like to point out the fact that you get up and move, trying things out with your own body, rather than just sitting around a meeting table. The most common critique seems to be that it is not really a proper user-centered method, since it is more often carried out by the designers than the users of the final product.The pill bottle is in the shape of a bag so it is easy for someone with arthritis to grip and for someone who has trouble with vision to differentiate from a regular pill bottle. when the bag is shaken it has a vibrating feature so she knows its the right one. Also, the bag will be a bright bold colour.
Another option would for her doctor to give her a prescription number that she can be done through a one time phone delivery service. This way she wont have trouble remembering to refill her prescription or have to get out of the house to go to the drugstore.
Or there could be a brail magazine order service where she just enters her medication number after she dials the appropriate number to get her refills.
She can take the pill by opening a latch on the bag where one pill is dispensed into everyday. She only opens the latch when she needs to take the pill, this way she wont take double dosages. The bag will automatically have an alarm when its her time to take her medication.
LAB 7 1. Describe how he defines 'design as a collaborative process', and cite two examples of how creators involve the people they want to create for in their work, according to Bill Moggridge's lecture. (1 paragraph each/3 paragraphs) Design as a collaborative process is a design process unlike any other as it is not only the designers simply designers for themselves, but instead incorporates the input and ideas of the consumer in its production. As design affects personal, societal and environmental well-being, the users of the design should be involved in it production process. Must also think about the human interface and interaction. An example of this in which Bill Moggridge mentions in the video is the design of glasses. When being designed the designer must consider the human face and how the glasses will interact with the human user for example the distance between the eyes from each other, the distance from the ears and all other relevant features of the face. 2. Find an online example of a product, which utilizes his principles of collaborative design which it, involves people in it design. Cite its URL, and describe its design process in two paragraphs, and how it involved its user(s) in a paragraph. (3 paragraphs) www.wikipedia.org
The example I chose is Wikipedia as I believe it is one of the most collaborative websites used on the internet. A free online encyclopedia which is comprised of knowledge and information from users around the world who collaborate to provide accurate and easily accessible information to others around the world. Currently there are around 18 million articles on the site and I believe it will only continue to grow as many people use it to research just about any topic you can think of. Run and operated by its users, it would not work without the active participation of people providing all the information they know on the various topics. It takes multiple participants to fill a page with various facts and interesting information. It is people providing other people with information. This free flow of knowledge is exactly what the world wide web was imagined to be, as all you need is Internet connection to access the largest encyclopedia in the world. Although wikipedia can be used to search and learn just about any topic, it is typically not always considered completely viable as it is able to be edited by just about anyone. Overall the information is usually correct, wikipedia is not considered a professional reference in matters of writing professional papers.
LAB 81. Describe how Natalie Jeremijenko has based her research on "new technologies are an opportunity for social transformation" to perform "small actions that can amount to a significant effect to improve local environmental health". Natalie Jeremijenko uses a completely different approach to health than the definition we are traditionally used to, where instead of focusing on the internal problems, she analyzes the external/environmental problems which are effecting our health. This is an excellent solution as she pointed out most of the cases that doctors are faced with on a regular basis are health issues caused by pollution, and our food such as asthma and obesity. People who come to her clinic are given things they can do in the external environment to help, which ends up helping the community as a whole, possibly preventing someone else from becoming ill. A very interesting example of this design for social change was the no park zone gardens which she has begun to place in front of fire hydrants throughout New York. Many health concerns are raised from road born pollution and this is an easy and effective way to make up for the damage that cars have on the community. Since the space is not of any valuable use, she turned it into an appealing and effective action to help the environment.
2. Choose two projects on HowStuffisMade at http://howstuffismade.org/ and write about how they are made. (1 paragraph each/2 paragraphs)Jelly BeansA jelly bean surprisingly can take up to 10 days to make with its ingredients consisting of sugar, food and corn starch, and the various flavours for different tastes. This jelly bean mix is then placed in a mogul machine which puts the right amount of cooked mix into a mold. A single tray can hold 1260 jelly bean molds. The trays are filled with corn starch and then with the jelly bean mix, and then brought to the conveyer belt to be coated in more sugar. To add the flavour the jelly beans are placed in stainless steel drums and spun while flavoured corn syrup is poured all over them. This is repeated 4 times. To dye them the different colours they are coated in granulated sugar. Finally they are stamped with their logo or brand, and the jelly beans are ready to be eaten! GelatoGelato begins from dairy mix and is mixed with varying ingredients depending on the desired flavour. These ingredients all have their own preparation process including melting the chocolate or seeding raspberries. Once the desired ingredients are mixed into the dairy mix, it is poured into a batch freezer and is slow-churned until becomes smooth ice cream texture. This usually takes around 15 minutes. After which the gelato flows out of the freezer and into packaging ready for delivery and enjoyment!
3. Why is it important that we understand how stuff is made as part of our systems analysis and design process? (1 paragraph) It is crucial to understand how things are made for systems analysis and design processes, because the components of an item and the steps involved in making it can tell a lot about it's functions and abilities. There is a reason why every step is taken in how things are made and it is difficult to analysis or alter something before knowing what went into making it. Also must understand how something was made in order to potentially fix and error or improve the product so as to not run into any more mistakes. Also easier to go back to the steps to see maybe where the original design went wrong and where could be improved.
Lab 9
1. According to the slideshow by Sylvain Cottong, who is an employee at http://www.integratedplace.com, describe the tools and methods of 'service design' (2 paragraphs).
-As services account for 60-70% of GDP in most industrialized countries it is important they are designed to be most efficient, effective and valuable design possible. Service design accomplishes this using a combination of product design and interaction design for designing the experience of the service. This essentially focuses on the customer experience throughout the service and using a human centered design approach
-The tools and methods involved are the journey map which looks at the touch points of the service and exactly what the customers feelings are at all of these points and how they can be improved. Another tool is creating a service blueprint, looking at every step of a service process to find any steps which possibly take to long or that can be eliminated all together. Also service prototyping is a good way to find out customers real wants and expectations of a service. Using these tools to improve a service will ensure maximum customer satisfaction, which is essential for today's businesses as customers' expectations are always rising along with the number of competitors in the market.
2. From your personal experience, what would be a scenario in which these methods would be useful? (2 paragraphs)
-A personal experience where these methods of service design would be useful is with moving. From the beginning steps of ordering movers, to them actually coming to your house, taking everything out and packaging it to bringing it to your new home, this whole service should be done in a way that is least stressful for the person moving as they already have enough things to worry about. First booking a mover can sometimes be difficult to get the time and date you want. Also prices and times for how long the service will take during all steps should be clear to the mover as they are probably trying to coordinate many aspects of the move to get everything done as quickly as possible.
-When the customer is truly satisfied and feels as though the service made their life a little easier they are willing to pay a little more for the service in order to relieve stress. A service such as moving does not have to be used by movers as they can rent a truck themselves and do the moving with help from friends or family, but if a company would be able to provide hassle free service and convenience during a stressful time such as moving the customer would probably refer them to friends and family as well. Providing the service of movers is not difficult as it does not require many tools or trained professionals, so as long as there is customer communication and understanding of their wants and expectations of the service, service design can be very beneficial for everyone involved.
LAB 10
1.Write three paragraphs to define the term 'ergonomics'. (3 paragraphs)
Ergonomics is finding new ways to improve productivity while reducing fatigue and discomfort. The term relates to the productivity with office objects/workplace tools and the human body. The study of ergonomics tries to improve the actions between products and humans to create more comfort, thus releiving stress. This may include the setup of an office space which would include the chair's design, how a keyboard is placed on a table or even how far the person is from the screen.
When a workplace is the most ergonomic, workers can get more done in less time, while putting their bodies under less stress. Ergonomics analyses workplace designs including comfort and simplicity, incorrect height and depth, task lighting, freedom of movement, prolonged laptop use and usable desk space for aspects which could be improved.
Ford saw the need for this in his factory and implemented changes in the way the workplace was set up to make the car making process faster. First the tasks were broken up in multiple steps so that each worker was consistently performing the same minimal task over and over, eventually becoming faster and faster at it. To increase production levels Ford also introduced the revolutionary idea of having the cars move to the men rather then the men always moving to the different parts of the cars. This way more cars were able to be produced in less time, making the company more money, allowing them to pay higher wages.
2. What is the 'Gilbreth system of motion analysis' (1 paragraph)
Gilbreth developed the system of motion analysis while working as a bricklayer. He was initially taught several different ways for laying bricks and wondered why this was necessary when he could find out the one best way to get it done. Much of the actions involved in the bricklaying included excessive stooping which lead to fatigue very easily and was very time consuming. He looked to lessen the amount of actions being done in the process and did so by developing a scaffolding platform which would raise itself with the height of the wall so that the worker would not have to stoop as low or as often. With this new system in place the motions necessary for bricklaying were reduced from 18 to 5 and productivity increased by nearly 200%.
3. How was Henry Ford influenced by the efficiency expert, Frederick Taylor? (2 paragraphs)
Henry Ford was greatly influenced by Taylor's efficiency expertise in the designing of the Ford factories. Early on Taylor was brought to the factories to analyze the work done by the workers. Taylor timed the workers every movement so that it could be reorganized to be completed more efficiently and quickly. It was decided that the tasks of building the car would be divided into 100 simple and repetitive tasks, so that each worker was continually performing the same simple task over and over. This way the workers did not need years of experience or training as the steps were divided for simplicity, and the work was done faster since every worker become very efficient at their assigned task.
Now that the workers were moving as fast as they could, Ford even went to make the process more simple by having the worker not even have to move, as the cars would come to them on an assembly line. This allowed for mass production and the design would continue to be used for years to come.
4. What are the four basic principles of McDonaldization? (List of 4)
a. efficiency: looks at the best way to get something done
b. predictability: looks to keep things consistent across different times or places
c. calculability: emphasizes quantity rather then quality
d. control: emphasizes the use of non human technology